Spain’s soccer federation stood firmly by its president, Luis Rubiales, on Saturday whilst he faces a storm of criticism for grabbing star participant Jenni Hermoso’s head and kissing her on the lips after Spain’s Girls’s World Cup victory.
In an announcement issued within the early hours the federation mentioned it will take authorized motion to defend Rubiales and mentioned it will present there have been lies about what occurred by Hermoso or folks talking for her.
The assertion on the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation web site didn’t say what the authorized motion would include.
Rubiales refused on Friday to resign as RFEF chief over his actions final Sunday in Sydney, looking for to defend his behaviour and calling the kiss “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual.”
Hermoso mentioned she didn’t consent to the kiss and felt “weak and the sufferer of an aggression.”
She has received the assist of the Spanish authorities, which whereas it can not fireplace Rubiales has strongly denounced his actions and is shifting to get him suspended utilizing a authorized process earlier than a sports activities tribunal.
The Spain ladies’s workforce has additionally mutinied. In a joint assertion despatched through their FUTPRO union on Friday night, all 23 of the cup-winning squad together with Hermoso, in addition to 32 different squad members, mentioned they might not play internationals whereas Rubiales stays head of the federation.
In the identical assertion, Hermoso denied Rubiales’s competition that the kiss he gave her was consensual, writing, “I wish to make clear that, as was seen within the photos, at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me and, in fact, in no case did I search to elevate the president.”
Federation to struggle ‘lies’
In its assertion early on Saturday, the federation mentioned: “The RFEF and the President, given the seriousness of the content material of the press launch from the Futpro Union, will provoke the corresponding authorized actions.”
“The place there may be rule of regulation … opinions are counteracted with info and proof, and lies are rebutted in courtroom.”
“The RFEF and the President will present every of the lies which might be unfold both by somebody on behalf of the participant or, if relevant, by the participant herself,” it mentioned.
The assertion was accompanied by 4 photographs of the occasion final Sunday that it mentioned illustrated Rubiales’s competition that Hermoso lifted him by the hips.
Reuters couldn’t instantly attain an official of the FUTPRO union by phone for remark.
Rubiales had been broadly anticipated to resign at an emergency assembly of the federation on Friday. As a substitute he mentioned repeatedly that he wouldn’t give up and complained that “false feminists” had been “attempting to kill me.”
Appearing Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz referred to as his speech on Friday “unacceptable.” She wrote on social media: “The federal government should act and take pressing measures: impunity for macho actions is over. Rubiales can not proceed in workplace.”
Gender points have turn out to be a distinguished subject in Spain lately. Tens of 1000’s of girls have taken half in avenue marches protesting sexual abuse and violence.
The Socialist-led coalition authorities has presided over authorized reforms together with round equal pay, abortion, intercourse work and transgender rights.
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